by Kitty Pope, Alliance Library System

Every year, my favorite magazine, BusinessWeek, publishes a list of the best customer service companies in America or “Customer Service Champs.” I love the list. Each year, I look for ideas and trends from which we in library land can learn and borrow. 

This year’s winners include:

• L.L. Bean received top marks for their quality staff and efficiency, but it was their
  great return policy, which includes free shipping both ways, that made them number
  one.
• Apple also has great staff and is very efficient, but they are number three on the list
  because of their “Genius Bars” (awesome in-store tech support) and roving checkout
  clerks.
• Nordstrom was in the top 5 for integrating their store inventory systems so online
  shoppers can access stock in all stores. This sounds just like an integrated library
  catalog.
• Barnes & Noble put Wi-Fi in 700 stores in early 2009 to encourage longer stays by
  potential customers. Again, this situation sounds familiar…library as place.
• Amazon.com experienced a great 2009 by expanding their tech services and
  testing same-day delivery. It worked, as sales soared 10% over the previous year.
• American Express focused in 2009 on hiring staff with hospitality training and
  experience rather than call center experience. Again, their ingenuity paid off; they
  ranked eighteenth on the BusinessWeek list.
• Southwest Airlines is the only major carrier that does not charge customers to
  check two bags; revenue per seat was up 7% in December 2009.

So what can library land learn from the list?

• Good customer service pays off! Make the wise business decision to focus staff on
  the customers’ experience and not what is easier for the library. It’s not about us; it’s
  all about them.
• Little things, like free shipping or no-fee baggage, really count. A mystery shopper or
  very short, 2-3 question customer satisfaction survey will tell you a lot about what
  drives library customers away.
•  Be like Apple. Be like L.L. Bean. Make it easy for folks to do business with you!
• Customers need to be recognized and greeted within five seconds of walking
  through the door! This action is no longer an option; it is a business necessity.